A prior feeding apparatus is described in JP61111221, which describes the conveyance of products such as fruit situated in file. With a first conveyor, randomly arranged products are supplied to a second conveyor. This second conveyor consists of two brushes rotating in opposite senses, which provide for a continuous movement of the products in the conveying direction. As indicated in the drawing, in order to transfer the products situated behind and against each other to a roller conveyor, the products are gradually supplied to and onto the rollers by means of an intermediate section. This intermediate section is formed by two flat continuous conveyor belts, positioned obliquely relative to a vertical plane, which, directly after the brushes, function either as a V-channel (FIG. 4) or, starting as a V-channel, diverge to some extent (FIG. 1). At an appropriate speed of the conveyor belts, the products will, respectively, end up on the rollers with some spread, or not only continue in the conveying direction but moreover move down gradually between the belts.
Ideally, the sequential order effected will be preserved. However, when products such as fruits, nearly always having a greater or lesser spread in size, are being conveyed, their falling from between the flat belts will proceed less uniformly than expected. In fact, the sequential order may even be disturbed, or fruits may end up side by side between two rollers, thus forming ‘doubles’.